IndigeFEWSS Trainees at AISES National Conference 2021

The Original Peoples of this Nation were the founders of the sciences, and today, their descendants are using that ancestral knowledge to make a difference in the world.  

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The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) has created a space where young Indigenous scholars can connect and embrace their passion in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. The Indigenous Food, Energy & Water Security and Sovereignty program (Indige-FEWSS) trainees attended the AISES conference this year and shared the positive impact that this experience made on them. “By attending AISES, I was able to experience a morning prayer with AISES elders, it was very moving to hear them speak,” expressed Jackie Rybin, MS Candidate in Agriculture Education, Technology, and Innovation (AETI).  

AISES is a national non-profit organization and has been ongoing for forty-three years. Throughout these years, they have hosted the sharing and exchanging of Indigenous educational practices, community-based research and praxis, networking, and information on career development. “What I appreciate the most is learning how Indigenous communities have utilized the COVID-19 pandemic, a massive site of struggle and loss, to collectively find strength and solutions,” stated Tony Viola, Yoeme, PhD Candidate in Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies.

There are a few spaces like AISES in this nation, spaces where young Indigenous scholars can learn, share, and empower each other regardless of where their communities are geographically located. “I learned about the importance of implementing data sovereignty, connecting with Indigenous scholars and feeling empowered,” expressed Nizhoni Tallas, PhD Candidate in Natural Resources and the Environment.  

The Indige-FEWSS program continues to search for ways to foster intercultural awareness and solutions for food-energy-water challenges in Indigenous communities. To learn more about the Indige-FEWSS program, research, traineeship and partners, please visit: https://environment.arizona.edu/indigefewss